Chinese kin refuse to accept MH370 release

comments     Bernama     Published     Updated

MH370 Chinese families of the passengers on board the ill-fated Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH370 have refused to accept the announcement that the flaperon found on the French Reunion Island is from Flight MH370.  

Around a dozen of next-of-kin of the MH370 passengers, on emotions running high, gathered outside the MAS office building in Beijing today, demanding that MAS make flights arrangement for them to Reunion Island.

“We want them to bring us to the Reunion Island where they said the debris were found,” said Zhang Meiling, 62, whose daughter and son-in-law were among those onboard MH370.

Calling the flaperon as just a wing part of an aircraft, the families said it could be any made-up part that was claimed to be the missing airplane’s wing.

They are still clinging to the hope that their loved ones are still alive somewhere, safe and sound.

“It is a made-up wing part, it is a fake wing, they just want to simplify the entire situation so that we could accept the compensation, and accept it as a closure,” Zhang said.  

“Even if it belongs to MH370, but the passengers on board and the plane were separated, I still believe my families are still alive! I want my families back!” she said in tears.

She said the search operations had been done for more than 500 days, but all they wanted was to see their families’ bodies.

Bao Lanfang, whose son, daughter-in-law and grandson were on board the MH370, held up a placard written “Mum will always wait for you, never give up”, and burst into tears frequently when asked the whereabouts of her family.  

“I beg you all, please, bring my family back,” she wept aloud while waiting to see MAS officers outside the building, along with other MH370 families.

‘Don’t talk about compensation’

Hu Xiufang, 64, whose son, daughter-in-law and her granddaughter were on board MH370, cried and looked forward to her family's return, held up a placard written “Malaysia, bring my family back, don’t talk about compensation”.

“We want Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to stop lying, our families are still alive!” she said.

Zhang Yonglie, 64, whose daughter Zhang Qi, 31 was onboard the MH370, wore a placard with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s photo on it and holding two Chinese flags on his hand.

“We believed in President Xi, he had promised us to bring all the 150 Chinese passengers home,” he said.

The families began to gather in Bejing at around 9am, so far, none of the MAS officers had yet to approach them. Dozens of foreign media were congregating too.

Najib announced early today that international experts had confirmed that the flaperon found on the French Reunion Island is from Flight MH370 - supporting an earlier conclusion that the Malaysia Airlines plane crashed into the Indian Ocean almost 17 months ago.

- Bernama



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